Rabbit pee smells so darn bad?

Question

I've had a rabbit for about 4 weeks now. I clean his cage out every single night, but by next morning it smells so bad again. Is it normal for their pee to be very strong in odor?

Answer 1

Rabbit pee can have a strong ammonia smell. Try a different type of litter. We use Feline Pine, which is pine pellets that dissolve into sawdust. I can go days without odor or having to change the litter.

Answer 2

Why dont you little box train the little guy? This will prevent the pee from getting everywhere and causing a strong odor. Use an absorbent Rabbit Safe material in the bottom of the litter box (otherwise they can get liver cancer), and put hay on one side of it so your rabbit wants to go in it. You can buy corner litter boxes that fit in most cages at www.petco.com. I use couple layers of thick paper towels on the bottom and cover that with wood shavings or paper shavings and put hay on top of that. You will no longer need to clean the cage out every night (which wouldn't help anyway).Remember to clean the box every two days. Hope this might help! It worked for my two indoor bunnys and we dont ever have a problem with the smell.

Answer 3

Yes, it is very normal for rabbits to smell badly.
First of all, think of where you are keeping your rabbit. It is more likely to smell badly if it's kept indoors rather than in a hutch in your backyard. If it is possible, hutches are available at garden stores, pet stores, etc.
Cleaning out his cage is also a good thing to do, every night or every other night.
Also, try to contain his 'droppings, etc' into a small space to make it easier to clean the cage. First, watch where he goes to the bathroom, and a few days later, put a litter tray in that area with a little bit of hay in it, he should go to the bathroom there.
It is also a good idea, possible outside but even better inside, if you can get your hands on a freshener, that can either be attached the cage/hutch or attached to a wall very near the cage/hutch. This will clear up the smell and keep it smelling fresh. These do not hurt your animal and usually come in fresh scents like citrus. However, even though the fresheners don't neccessarily hurt the rabbits, make sure that you buy one from somewhere where it is clearly for around animals, to make sure that it is safe.

But these are just my tips . . . here are some helpful hints from rabbit.org:

Tip of the Month: Rabbit Urine Odor Control


Some helpful tips for odor control from a recent San Diego Rabbits Online Newsletter (thanks to Dr. Krempels for her contributions to this list):

When you change the litter, be sure to rinse the box *thoroughly* with water. Occasionally giving it a white vinegar rinse will help keep calcium residues down and control the odor. Be sure to wash the bottom of the box as well.

Be sure there is no urine *under* the box or around the boxes in areas that are not wiped up. These get to smelling foul very quickly. If you do have a spot where the urine tends to seep in, remove the box, scrub the area thoroughly with white vinegar and rinse well with water. You might even want to bleach it, but be sure to rinse away all the bleach before you let bunny near the area.

Line the boxes with newspaper and a rabbit-safe litter, such as CareFresh, Yesterday’s News (now available for rabbits), or Feline Pine. (Do not use clay-based or clumping cat litter which can be dangerous for bunny if consumed). Top off the litter box with a large handful or more of hay. Bunnies like to munch on hay and use their litterbox at the same time.

CHANGE THE LITTER BOX EVERY DAY. If you line the box with newspaper, its easy to dump the waste into a trashbag for disposal or use for composting.

p.s. Note that unneutered/unspayed rabbits usually have stronger smelling urine than their neutered/spayed counterparts. Spay/neuter is highly recommended for this reason, and to prevent cancers of the reproductive systems, especially in female bunnies.

There are many other websites that can help you more to 'deoderize' your rabbit's cage and just general rabbit care sites that you might find helpful:

http://www.rabbit.org/care/tips99.html
http://www.rabbit.org/
http://www.petwebsite.com/rabbits.asp
http://homepage.mac.com/mattocks/morfz/rabcare.html
http://www.orlandorabbit.org/html/articles.html
http://www.allearssac.org/training.html
http://www.superbunnies.com/index.html
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/pic/article.cfm?acatid=363&aid=1004

Enjoy these rabbit websites and I hope that this was of some help!!

Good luck with your rabbit! What's his/her name?

All the best,

*Nicky

Answer 4

Yup, I find that the more water they drink during the day, the less intense the smell is. Also, keep an eye out for any change in color from light yellow to almost rusty brown. When you change the shavings, try to scrub the area 1-2 times a week with vinegar and water. Hope this helps :)

Answer 5

I use Kaytee Total Comfort bedding in my rabbit's litter box and I put Marshall Bi-Odor in his water. I would suggest at least getting the Bi-Odor to stop the smell. It works for my rabbit.

Answer 6

We had two rabbits a male and a female (now we only have the 1.5 year old female jessie. R.I.P or not we dont know where you are Littlepaw but we miss you) but we clean their cage out every week and it doesnt smell as bad as you desribe it afetr one day!
i nam sorry but i am not sure maybe check on a reliable bunny site.
good luck
Annika

Answer 7

Yes, it does smell bad...so does rat pee, and gerbil pee, and guinea pig pee. the best thing is an odor controling litter for the cage.

Answer 8

Not for my rabbit but maybe you could call the vet and ask someone there for their advice. It may be due to what the rabbit eats and they may suggest a change in it's diet. They should be able to give you the correct answer.

Answer 9

Yep, just the nature of the animal i suppose. Cat pee is stinky too. Maybe keep the cage out on the deck?

Answer 10

If you have a male rabbit their pee smells terrible.